19 Yanks Die in Worst Week of Year for US

(NEWSER) - An explosion ripped through a market in Baghdad’s Sadr City today killing 52 and injuring 104, Reuters reports. Though Iraq has seen markedly less violence in the past year, today’s bombing is part of a wave of attacks ahead of the US military’s scheduled withdrawal from Iraqi cities next week. Sadr City is home to supporters of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, though it is patrolled by Iraqi government forces. More»

Partition aims to keep insurgents from neighborhood

(NEWSER) - American forces have begun construction of an enormous concrete wall that will partition Sadr City, one of Baghdad's most dangerous neighborhood. The structure is intended to make the southern section of Sadr City, a Shiite stronghold that borders the Green Zone, into a protected enclave, reports the New York Times. Walls in other parts of Baghdad have succeeded in blunting insurgent attacks, despite residents' fears of isolation. More»

Assault on US-protected compound could hurt al-Sadr's credibility

(NEWSER) - A volley of rockets or mortar rounds hit Iraq’s Green Zone today, causing no injuries except perhaps to the credibility of a Shiite militia cease-fire extended just one day ago. The AP reports that nearly 10 explosions were heard inside the zone, which houses the American embassy, Iraqi government headquarters, and thousands of US troops. It's the fourth such attack this week. More»

Shiites, Muqtada al-Sadr's office targeted

(NEWSER) - Bombs exploded throughout Baghdad today, targeting Shiite mosques and neighborhoods, including the office of anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. A neighborhood in Anbar province was also hit with six roadside bombs. At least 61 people have been killed and nearly 112 wounded, CNN reports. More»

Infrastructure remains sub-standard in much of Iraq

(NEWSER) - Residents of the Sadr City slum of Baghdad have come to accept raw sewage, bubbling to the surface from broken pipes, as a part of daily life, Bloomberg reports. And Sadr City is hardly an oddity—despite 6 years and billions of American dollars, much of Iraq still lacks reliable electricity and running water. More»